Author: Kim Kalliber

Community-led parade honors Officer Cortez

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“I’m so thankful that all these people came out for my grandson today,” tearfully expressed Sandra Grenier. “He is so loved. I very much appreciate it.”

On the twenty-fifth day into the search for fallen Tulalip Police Officer Charlie Cortez, the Tulalip community held a special honoring parade in his remembrance. Thin Blue Line flags waved in the air, attached to hundreds of vehicles ranging from sports cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, vans, police squad cars, fire trucks and ORVs, extending from the Tulalip Youth Center to Marine Drive. 

Tulalip hero Charlie Cortez, a father, son, cousin, motocross rider, protector and exerciser of treaty rights, and man of the Tulalip people dedicated his life to serving his community. Weeks after the announcement that the Fish & Wildlife officer presumably died in the line of duty, the Tulalip Police Department and a multitude of volunteers continue to scour the Salish waters in hopes to recover and return the 29-year-old officer home after he went missing at sea on the night of November 17. 

“I want to express my heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers for the entire Cortez family and all who loved and knew Charlie. It’s such a tragic loss for our community and for our police department and of course for his family and loved ones,” said Tulalip Chief of Police, Chris Sutter.

For generations, Indigenous families have relied on the strength of their tribe to both get through and understand trying times. Tribal communities often ban together to hold gatherings and ceremonies as well as raise funds for grieving families, providing medicine in the form of song, dance, stories, hot food and presence. Unable to host such a gathering due to COVID-19 restrictions, Torry and Christina Parker organized the parade to bring a bit of healing to the family.

At 3:00 p.m. on December 12, dozens of police vehicles hailing from departments all across the state, signaled the start of the parade when their sirens began to flash and wail simultaneously. As each vehicle made their way down Totem Beach Road, they displayed posters, signs, and décor in honor of Charlie. Some of the more moving posters were carried by Tulalip tribal youth with messages such as, “I love you” and “I’m riding for my hero Charlie Cortez”. 

Teri Nelson, Charlie’s aunt, emotionally shared, “We’re beyond grateful for everybody in the community, for their love and support.”

An overwhelming surprise to many, the parade’s caravan consisted of at least two-hundred vehicles and lasted for over 30 minutes as Charlie’s colleagues, friends, family and fellow hunters and motocross riders joined-in to pay their respects. Charlie’s family watched the entire moving display of community from the Tulalip Marina, waving as each car passed by. Prior to the parade, the family asked participants to wrap their vehicles in holiday fashion as this was Charlie’s favorite time of year, celebrating not only Christmas but his mother’s, brother’s and son’s birthday each December.

“Just to see everyone put that time aside today and come together in a safe way for Charlie, and make it fun and decorate their cars, it was powerful,” said Charlie’s first-cousin Kayla Scheiber. “Starting with all the police officers making their sirens go off, and the fire trucks after them, then all the Harley’s and cars, it was really meaningful and I know my family appreciates it a lot, as well as Charlie in spirit.”

In addition to paying tribute to Charlie’s life, the tribe is also using the parade as an opportunity to let the people know that recovery efforts will continue until Charlie is brought home, welcoming any volunteers to the cause. 

“It was a great show of love and support,” said Chief Sutter. “Thanks to our entire community for all that they’re doing and continue to do in our search and recovery efforts. It was inspiring to see all the law enforcement agencies, fish and wildlife agencies, fire departments and numerous organizations, groups and families who came out to show their support and love for the entire Cortez family and in honor of our beloved officer Charlie.”

If you have any information in relation to the search for Officer Cortez, please contact  (360) 926-5059 or email BringOfficerCortezHome@gmail.com

“I’m glad that we took this time to honor Charlie,” Kayla expressed. “We needed this as Native people, it’s really important for us. And the fact that Charlie is still missing – I believe this is something that will help him get found at some point. I know that coming together in this way is healing and will help bring him home.”

Tulalip Community Health Youth Care Kits

Submitted by Morgan Peterson, Tulalip Community Health Nurse

Mental health is just as important as physical health. During these difficult times of a pandemic, it’s more important than ever to include self-care in our daily lives. At Tulalip Community Health, we want to provide support to youth that are home on quarantine. We hope these items can help pass the time while at home. We all must do our part to stop the spread of COVID and stay home if exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19.

Q. What is a Youth Care Kit?

A. A youth care kit is put together with the specific interests of youth in mind. They have various items from Legos and dolls to cooking kits, art activities, and journals.

Q. Who is eligible to receive a youth kit?

A. Youth kits are available to households in isolation/quarantine due to having a family member in the home testing positive for COVID-19.

Q. What ages do these kits include?

A. The items are for children 3-18

Q. How can I receive one of these Youth Care Kits?

A. There are a couple of ways to receive a care kit:

  •  When someone is notified of a positive COVID-19 test result, please let the caller know there are children in the home and the ages.
  •  Call Community Health (360) 716-5662 and request a youth care kit. Please leave a message with your name and good number, and someone will call you back.
  • Call Tiffany Robinson from the Community Health Transportation Department (360) 722-1635

Congratulations to our 2020 High School Students of the Year

Submitted by Jessica Bustad 

Each year the Tulalip Education Division honors students at the Annual Graduation Banquet. This year, we did not get the normal banquet and opportunity to honor all of our seniors who worked so hard to finish the last of their high school career during a pandemic. 

At the end each school year we give an opportunity for students to apply for Tulalip Senior Boy & Girl of the Year and also just recently, the Indian Education Parent Committee Student of the Year. With delays and organizing during a pandemic, we are happy to close the year out with the official winner’s announcement.

2020 Tulalip Senior Girl of the Year: Chelsea Orr

Chelsea graduated from Lakewood High School with a 3.95 GPA.  Chelsea excelled academically, took on several leadership roles and was a star athlete.  Chelsea is attending Washington State University, studying Human Development and plans to become a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. 

2020 Tulalip Senior Boy of the Year: Tal “TJ” Severn

Tal graduated from Marysville Pilchuck High School with a 3.87 GPA. Tal was a 4-year Honor Roll student, while taking A.P. and college level courses. He was a start athlete and spent time supporting his community. Tal is attending Washington State University and plans to major in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Sciences so that he can return to Tulalip and work for Natural Resources.

2020 Indian Education Parent Committee student of the year: Marisa Joseph 

Marisa graduated from Marysville Pilchuck High School with a 3.97 GPA while taking A.P. courses. Marisa excelled academically and also contributed to her Tulalip Community. Marisa served on the Tulalip Youth Council with a strong focus on suicide prevention. Marisa is currently attending Dartmouth College and plans to double major in Government and Native American students to eventually become a Tribal Lawyer. 

Congratulations to our three students of the year. You are outstanding role models for our community and we look forward to watching your journey of growth, determination and success. 

We hope that all of our graduates are doing well and working towards their life goals. Obstacles are inevitable, but possibilities are endless. Honor your roots and never give up. The Tulalip Education Division, Leaders and Community are cheering for you all. 

Family Wellness Court an alternative, collaborative approach to reunification

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

At the start of 2017, the Tulalip Tribal Court implemented a new program to assist addicts on their recovery journey. The Healing to Wellness Court originally drew a bit of skepticism from Tribal membership due to failed experiments with drug courts in the past. However, after tailoring the wellness court to the individual client and incorporating cultural involvement, the program saw success, with a handful of clients completing the program and many addicts who are clean and working hard to maintain their sobriety.

Four years since the announcement of the Healing to Wellness Court, the Tribal Justice department is gearing up to introduce a similar program, but with an emphasis on not only helping their clients live healthy and sober lives, but to reunify families who have been torn apart by the opioid epidemic. Family Wellness Court aims to get the parents clean, help them regain custody of their children and get them out of the court system for good. 

Tulalip Tribal Court Director, Alicia Horne explained, “The Family Wellness Court is very similar to the Healing to Wellness Court. It’s an alternative program to help parents with addiction and it’s an evidence-based program to help parents with addiction sustain sobriety. This is something that is different from your traditional beda?chelh case management. The Family Wellness program has wrap-around, intensive family case management to help the family as a whole, so the parents can maintain stable sobriety.”

Although the Family Wellness Court’s game plan mirrors the Healing to Wellness Court model in many aspects, the court wants to stress that the two programs are completely separate from one another. Family Wellness will work with individuals on their own accord, through either a referral or self-referrals, as the new program is 100% voluntary based and not mandated by the courts. Whereas the Healing to Wellness Court works on criminal cases and their clients could potentially face jail time if they fall out of compliance. Family Wellness Court is a guided program where a team creates an individualized plan for the parent, and since the program is voluntary and does not work on criminal cases, the client does not face jail time if they fall off track.  

“We’re one of the first in the nation to be doing this as a tribe because we want our people to be healthy, happy and successful,” said Family Wellness Court Coordinator, Melissa Johnson. “We want people to understand it’s different than the standard dependency proceeding that parents involved with beda?chelh go through. With more frequent review hearings, in the drug court model, they get a chance to show their progress in real-time. They tend to get their kids back faster in this type of program because of the intensive case management and the added support.”

A team will meet regularly, on a weekly-basis, to discuss the client’s progress or regression. The team then decides on the appropriate action to take, whether that is awarding them with incentives or providing intervention services or resources to help them find their way back to the road of sobriety. 

“We assist parents with medical care if they need it, as well as referrals to housing, helping with job placement, job training, so they can live a healthy and sober life and maintain it on their own,” Melissa stated. “We want to give them the skills, the foundation to maintain that healthy lifestyle once they’re finished with our program. One of our goals is to have fewer CPS and beda?chelh involvement.”

Members of the team include Tulalip tribal court’s Chief Judge Michelle Demmert, Associate Judges Janine B. Van Dusen and Leona Colegrove, as well as a Child Advocate Attorney, Parent Advocate Attorney, beda?chelh Manager (Natasha Fryberg), beda?chelh Social Worker, Substance Use Disorder Counselor, Family Wellness Court Coordinator (Melissa), Recovery Support Specialist, and the Wellness Program Manager. 

Said Melissa, “The team meets weekly and the program is going to last around a year, sometimes it takes longer. It’s based on individual needs because some parents need more support than others. Rather than feeling lost in the system, the participants will gain a sense of continuity and identification with the program. The hearings will allow the judge to provide the support, encouragement and responses as needed. What happens really is the courtroom becomes more of a therapeutic environment versus what it is now. We want them to build trust and a relationship with the judge, so they’re not afraid of interacting with the judge.”

The Tulalip Tribal Court believes that this collaboration between multiple departments, with the same intent of helping someone attain sobriety, is the key to success with drug court clients. Helping them establish relationships with the judges and task force members, the clients are included in the entire process from the moment they accept the help from the Family Wellness Court to the moment they are reunified with their children. 

“I am thrilled that the Tulalip tribal court and community will be able to engage in this holistic child welfare program,” shared Child Advocate Attorney, Chori Folkman. “Studies have shown that this type of collaborative team-based approach results in faster case resolution and more families becoming reunified than a normal child welfare case. The support of beda?chelh will be complimented by all the other team members who will be working hard to support the needs of parents to become healthy and reach their full potential for the children. I think that in the Tulalip system, we can make this type of court successful as we tailor it to the specific needs of the Tulalip community.”

Another reason that clients are remaining clean and sober throughout and following their journey with the Healing to Wellness Court program can be credited to the Tulalip culture. The program requires its clients to fulfill ‘give-back’ hours to the community. During those volunteer hours, clients not only occupy their time and keep their hands busy during fun, healthy community events, they also begin the process of reintegrating back into the tribal community by participating in cultural practices such as singing, dancing, and learning more of their ancestral lifeways. 

Alicia agrees that the cultural aspect is one of the major contributors to the success of Healing to Wellness Court clients, which is why the tribal courthouse elected to include community and cultural involvement in the new Family Wellness Court program, providing good medicine while encouraging their clients to drop the bad drugs.  

With the establishment of the Family Wellness Court, the Tulalip Justice System continues to combat the drug epidemic on the reservation. The tribal court recently launched the ODMAP program which tracks overdoses that occur on Tulalip territory to help prevent and reduce the loss of lives due to overdose in the community. 

Family Wellness Court intends on officially beginning operations, offering their services to the community, by mid-January 2021. To qualify for the Family Wellness Court’s services, you must be the parent of a Tulalip tribal member who currently has an open child dependency case with the Tribal Court System. Please contact your attorney, beda?chelh social worker or call (360) 716-4764 if you believe the Family Wellness Court can benefit you and your family. 

  “The Family Wellness Court is a model of a community involvement approach. We hope that the community will begin to see the courts as a healing institution; one that can provide solutions for the communities’ various needs,” expressed Chief Judge Demmert. “The Family Wellness Court is another example of how the tribal justice system is evolving to address the needs of the community in a culturally competent manner. We all need to recognize that we have the knowledge of our ancestors standing with us and at times, holding us up.” 

Tulalip Tribal Court introduces ODMAP to combat drug overdose rates in the community

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“There are a lot of overdoses during bonus and Christmas time,” said ODMAP (Overdose Detection Mapping & Application Program) Outreach Specialist, Tashena Hill. “People are feeling sad because they can’t be with their families or they are reminded of family members who passed on. ODs really spike during this time of year, so it is very important for us to get this information out.”

As overdose rates continue to climb nationwide, the Tulalip Tribal Court is taking action in an attempt to address the opioid epidemic on the reservation. Multiple studies from the likes of the CDC and the Washington Post report that Indian Country has been hit the hardest, claiming that from 2006-2014 Natives were 50% more likely to die from an opioid overdose than any other race in the country. Those reputable sources also released a disclaimer stating those statistics are more than likely under reported due to a number of factors. Most misreporting stems from hospitals and coroners indicating the incorrect race on the death certificates of overdose victims. 

The numbers reported on a national level are still staggering. After approximately 70,000 overdose related deaths occurred in 2017, the United States saw that number decrease to 67,000 in 2018. Unfortunately, in 2019, the CDC reports that the drug overdose rate rose by 4.6% in the course of a year to nearly 71,000 deaths nationwide. Early projections indicate that those numbers may have spiked yet again in 2020, citing the novel coronavirus as a key contributor to several overdoses throughout the year. 

In 2017, roughly 30% of deaths in Washington State were attributed to overdose with a large percentage occurring in Snohomish county, particularly the Marysville, Everett and Tulalip region. It would be extremely challenging, however, if you wanted to gather and analyze data regarding the number of overdoses and overdose related deaths at Tulalip alone, as reportings tend to vary based on jurisdictions and which emergency response team answers the call of distress. 

Tulalip Tribal Court Director Alicia Horne explained, “Right now, Tulalip has no central data to utilize to determine OD. This new program is going to create the database to track those statistics, that’s one of the objectives of this program. And prevention. If an emergency response team is responding to a 9-1-1 call and they issue Narcan, having that information will help this program go out to do intervention services and provide detoxing treatments, getting them set-up on a Suboxone or Methadone program. This will help us collect data to see what the overdose rate is in the Tulalip community and how we can provide prevention and intervention services.”

ODMAP, or the Overdose Detection Mapping & Application Program, is a service utilized by communities across the nation. Counties that have elected to use the company’s database have been able to significantly reduce the number of overdoses in their region.

“ODMAP is a system that emergency response personnel like the fire department, EMTs, and the police department can enter real-time data regarding an overdose,” said ODMAP Project Coordinator, Kali Joseph. “That includes a general location of the overdose, whether Naloxone was administered, how much Naloxone was administered, and whether the overdose was fatal or not. And then we have our outreach workers deploy the resources to those people who are susceptible to overdose or are suffering with substance abuse disorder.”

Having access to those reports is a major step in addressing the opioid and heroin epidemic on the reservation. Now TPD and other emergency response teams can pinpoint specific neighborhoods and areas that are affected most by drug overdose and can thereby, in theory, disrupt any activity when the numbers are on the rise. 

“Using the ODMAP app we can see a spike happen in real-time,” expressed ODMAP Social Worker, Cara McCoy. “When we have all these spikes and overdoses, we can warn the community that maybe there’s a bad drug and to be careful. The app is really easy to use so the officer or whoever has the app will be able to capture it immediately so we have more accurate numbers.”

In addition to tracking and monitoring overdoses on the reservation, the ODMAP team is focused on promoting a healthy Tulalip community and will provide outreach work, cultural activities, and endless resources for those ready and willing to leave their addiction in the past. 

“We’re working on getting a list of all the things that could be barriers in between someone obtaining their sobriety,” stated Kali. “That could be food, a driving abstract, Washington State ID, duffle bag, clothes, signing up for insurance, cell phones, or providing them with a ride. Sometimes the fees for a driving abstract or an ID, to be able to get into a detox center or treatment, can be a very big barrier for people trying to get clean and sober so we just want be able to help them break down those barriers.”

Added Tashena, “The biggest obstacle for any of our clients is having a place to go after coming home from treatment or jail. The Tribe doesn’t offer anything for short-term, so we’re working on trying to find a place for them to go in the interim. We need somewhere for them to go so they can be successful on their journey.”

The very first project for the ODMAP team is taking place on December 16, a virtual training session that will inform those who attend how to appropriately and effectively administer Naloxone or Narcan nasal spray, which can potentially save someone’s life in the event of an overdose. According to their research, 690 overdoses in Washington State were reversed with Naloxone in 2016.

“It first started with Cara setting up a meeting with the Swinomish Wellness Center, they have reduced their overdose rate by 50%,” Kali noted. “We asked them what type of things they’re doing to reduce their rate so greatly and they said that a big factor was distributing Narcan to the community members. We thought we should have a Narcan distribution for our community right before the holidays. It was actually Tashena’s idea to do it before the holidays, especially because we all get this big chunk of money. We are here for prevention and we think that sharing information and knowledge is a really good prevention method, as well as distributing the Narcan.”

In total, the ODMAP team will distribute 50 Narcan kits to the community by December 18. Those who wish to receive a kit will be required to sign-up and attend a GoToMeeting session on Wednesday December 16. The trainings will be split into two sessions, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 2:00 p.m., and will be limited to 25 participants per session. After attending the training, the ODMAP team will hand-deliver the Narcan kits to your doorstep, along with other resources, including information about the program as well as some fun holiday gifts. You must be at least 13 years old to attend the training and receive a Narcan kit. 

“Our team is driven to reduce the overdose rates here at Tulalip,” expressed Tashena. “This is important to me as a Tribal member who has suffered from this opioid affliction, being able to give back to my people and show them there is hope. If I can overcome such a horrendous obstacle then anyone can. There is help here for people that want it or need it. There are people who care and are more than willing to help our community members if they want it. The upcoming Narcan training is so important because if we can save anyone, even one person, that is a win. Every last person matters. That is our way, huyadad, to care for every one of our members. At least that’s what my grandfather Stan Jones Sr. taught me – to care for everyone.”

For further information and to register for the upcoming Narcan presentation and distribution, please contact Tashena Hill at (360)-913-7897 or tahill@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov, Melissa Gover at (360)-631-2668 or mgover@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov, or Cara McCoy at (360)-631-7443 or cmccoy@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

King County Search Dogs support ongoing mission to bring Officer Cortez home

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The tragic loss of police officer Charlie Cortez, who died in the line of duty on November 17 after his patrol boat capsized, has been felt near and far. A 29-year-old hero and father of two young children, his family and friends offer prayers and well wishes to the recovery teams who depart Tulalip Marina shortly after sunrise every day in search of the fallen Tulalip tribal member.

“To date, we’ve used some of the best technology in the world to aid in our search and recovery mission,” explained Chris Sutter, Tulalip Police Chief. “Advanced underwater sonar imaging of the ocean floor, underwater drones, air resources including fixed wing aircrafts, helicopters, and unmanned drones, and, our most important resource of all, thousands of hours of manpower by dedicated first responders, fishermen, and civilian volunteers. 

“We’ve done our best to cover all relevant search areas , from north of Tulalip, Port Susan area to Camano Island, top end of Whidbey Island, both sides of Hat Island, up the Snohomish River system, and all the way down past Mukilteo looking for our lost officer,” he continued. “We have not turned away any resources, as we’ve had many vessels and specialized search teams on the water searching far and wide.”

 One such resource is the King County Search Dogs. A part of the King County Search and Rescue Association, the highly specialized canine unit assists law enforcement agencies with missing person searches and human recovery in the wilderness and urban settings. A team of ten (four dogs, four handlers and two support) joined Tulalip’s recovery efforts for Officer Cortez on December 5.

The search dog unit were briefed by Chief Sutter and Commander Robert Myers at the local marina before being transported to the primary search area by Fish and Wildlife boat operator supervisor Bernie Edge and Tulalip citizen Sam Davis. 

 The extraordinary dog-handler teams are trained for effective and efficient searches thanks to the four-legged companions’ possession of up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about six million in people. The part of a dog’s brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is, proportionally speaking, 40 times greater than the average human.

Dogs’ sense of smell overpowers our own by orders of magnitude – it’s 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute, scientists say. “Let’s suppose they’re just 10,000 times better,” says James Walker, former director of the Sensory Research Institute at Florida State University, who came up with that jaw-dropping estimate during a rigorously designed, oft-cited study. “If you make the analogy to vision, what you and I can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away.”*

Three super powered snouts actively worked the waters of Possession Sound, between Port of Everett, Priest Point and Hat Island, while a fourth roamed on land in search of any possible leads. Dog handler Joan Hitchner, an 18-year vet with search and rescue, trailed 7-year-old R2 as he traversed nearly six miles of sand dunes, boulders, a horde of driftwood, and wetland sniffing for viable scent trails on Jetty Island. 

On water, the search dogs literally stood on bow and stern of two separate boats while being taxied back and forth along the coastal waters for hour after hour. With noses held high, they processed the Possession Sound environment for any trace of Officer Cortez.

“Recovery efforts from water, especially the ocean, is inherently challenging because water is in a constantly changing state,” said dog handler Josh Gerstman, a 23-year vet with search and rescue, while beside his 8-year-old chocolate Labrador, Natick. “Fluctuating water temperatures, ocean depths, wind currents, turbidity and tidal impacts are all variables that cannot be understated. Our dogs’ sense of smell is incredible and they adhered to their training admirably under these conditions.”

After their day on the water and along the coast, the search and recovery teams reconvened at the Tulalip Marina to debrief. Information received from the search dogs will be further analyzed with all other search effort information logged to date. 

“Each day for the past three weeks, we’ve had different teams from a variety of local, regional and state agencies participate in our search and recovery mission,” reflected Chief Sutter. “Having the canine search team out today really gives us hope as we continue to bring in as many resources as we can to help locate and recover Officer Cortez. We are grateful to receive support from our neighboring King County Sherriff’s Office and every other community partner who has dedicated time and resources to support us.”

In the three weeks since Tulalip lost its first ever officer in the line of duty, the Tulalip Police Department, in partnership with Fish and Wildlife staff and countless fishermen, remain committed to bringing Officer Cortez home. Their exhaustive efforts show the depth of this community’s love for each other and of the brotherhood of law enforcement. The search continues.

*Source – https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/